The California Marine Life Protection Act south coast project (MLPA) requires the state to reexamine and redesign California’s system of marine protected areas with extensive public input.

Anglers, this is your chance to voice your opinion as to where the Southern California ban on fishing should be. The hot rumor is the whole front side of Catalina Island will be off limits to fishing.

To many of us who have been fishing the island since before World War II, that would be a disaster. If you want to get your input to people in the right places, you can attend tonight’s meeting at the San Diego Holiday Inn Express in Old Town. Workshops are open to the public and will be held 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, call 916-654-1885.

Local saltwater fishing has exploded. Last week, every sportboat from San Diego to Santa Monica Bay reported their customers catching limits to near limits of sand bass and barracuda.

Both San Clemente Island and Catalina Island are wide open for calico bass and yellowtail. The six-pack boats are all into the white seabass with many limiting out three days in a row on the silver giants. Call a landing and get going while it’s hot. Marina Landing can be reached at 562-598-6649; Pierpoint, 562-983-9300; Long Beach Sportfishing, 562-432-8993; 22nd Street Landing, 310-832-8304; L.A. Harbor Sportfishing, 310-547-9916; Newport Landing, 949-675-0550; Davey’s Locker, 949-673-1434; Marina Del Rey Sportfishing, 310-822-3625; Redondo Sportfishing, 310 372-2111.

The California Dept. of Fish and Game (DFG) announced that the 2008 recreational salmon fishing closures in the Central Valley has gone into effect to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon.

No Chinook are allowed to be kept anywhere on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers or any of their tributaries, including the American and Feather rivers.

The only exception is from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 in the Sacramento River between the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and Knights Landing for a one- salmon bag and possession limit.

While catch-and-release fishing for salmon is not prohibited, the salmon regulations were structured as a zero-salmon bag limit to keep fishing open for other non-salmon species. The trout, steelhead, sturgeon, striped bass, black bass, sunfish and catfish fisheries are major recreational inland fisheries in the Central Valley. The DFG requests that the public uses a very conservative approach toward salmon this year and refrain from any catch-and-release fishing that specifically targets salmon.

While the salmon season has been closed in the ocean and reduced in the Central Valley, the Smith, Klamath and Trinity rivers remain open to salmon fishing. These temporary closures will help ensure the future of ocean and inland salmon fishing for present and future generations.

I did a previous story about the land-locked salmon called kokanee. The fish is actually a version of sockeye salmon, which is able to migrate to the ocean from freshwater and back again to its original home. When it is land-locked, it is called a kokanee, which is derived from the Indian name “sukkai”.

Here are some further facts of interest. Many states are using kokanee in their hatchery programs exclusively in lakes where they have existed without problems. There are a few lakes in California where the kokes are self-sustaining, like Whiskeytown Lake and Lake Tahoe, but in most of the lakes they are trapped and hatchery reproduced.

The biologists find that in most lakes, less than 1 percent make it to the adult stage.

When they are hatchery-spawned, most grow to adulthood.

Saltwater bonanza Salmon closures purposely Kokanee update

naturally Their life span is only about 4 years where they die upon spawning. Fishtastic events

The Long Beach Rod and Gun club announces its upcoming “Luau” on July 26. The public is invited to dinner from 5-8 p.m.

This is a special event as Tim Whitaker, the main chef, is without doubt the finest pig cooker there is. Whitaker and Mike Carnes will barbecue the pig on a spit in true Hawaiian style.

The Ventura “In The Water” Boat Show will run today through Sunday at Channel Islands Harbor. For information, call 323-655-2010.

Friday is the $10 All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry by the Orange Coast Rod and Gun Club at the Westminster Elks Lodge.

Saturday is the “Battle In The Bay” saltwater bass anglers event. All three species will be targeted. For more information: www.saltwaterbassanglers.com

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